Great Wolf Lodge Review

After a long winter and an even longer pregnancy my family made the decision to get away for a few days. We booked a 3 day, 2 night stay at Great Wolf Lodge and couldn’t have been more excited!

We have always wanted to go to Great Wolf Lodge but I could never justify the cost. Since we had never been there I didn’t know what the true value was. April/May seems to be their shoulder season and there was a great Spring promotion that I took advantage of.

The Niagara Great Wolf Lodge is only a 1.5 hour drive from us so we loaded up and left at 10:30 Tuesday morning. We arrived four hours before check in and because the resort wasn’t busy we were able to check in early! If we had not been able to check in they allow arriving guests to start using the water park at 1pm and there are change rooms to get ready in. This really helps get your money worth!

Rooms ★★★

We stayed in a “family suite” which is the normal room and it was huge! It had two queen beds and a pull out sofa in a semi private area. In theory this area would be great to hang out in after the kids go to bed but we were so tired we crashed when they did!

All rooms include a fridge and microwave which is great when travelling with a baby and preschooler. We needed to sanitize bottles and heat up milk. We kept drinks and snacks in the fridge which helped keep costs down.

There were a few cons but none that would effect me going back. The bathroom was hilariously tiny and very old. There was some dust on the fixtures and the bed was a little on the soft side. Nothing I can’t work with.

Water Park ★★★★

Wow, this place was cool! We went during the week on an off season so it wasn’t busy but I can’t imagine it being any busier to be honest. Every chair was taken and there were a few times we had nowhere to sit. Other than that it was an amazing water park and the line ups were very reasonable.

There is attractions for the whole family and with our large age gaps (10, 3, and 2 months) we needed that. The wave pool was fun for everyone, the large water slides pleased my oldest and there is a little slide area for the smaller kids. There is a giant water play centre that was a lot of fun to explore and I could carry the baby around while the 3 year old played. A family favorite was the lazy river. It was all pretty great!!

Dining ★★★

The food was your typical burgers and fries. The breakfast buffet was really good (I am a breakfast buffet kinda person) but the dinner was mediocre (never been a dinner buffet lover). We didn’t go to the lunch buffet because we got food in the water park but I get the impression it was similar to the dining buffet. There is an unbelievable roasted veggie sandwich in the Bear Paw Cafe if you are so inclined, oh and the coffee was really good!

Amenities and Activities ★★★★

There is no shortage of stuff to do with your kids at Great Wolf Lodge! They have a kiddie spa called Scoops that looks super fun. In the front hall they have pajama dance parties, story time, face painting and meet and greets throughout the day. The biggest draw for us was Magic Quest! It is an interactive game that sends the kids all over the third and fourth floors looking for chests, pictures and other clues to collect everything they need to complete quests. It is so much fun and keeps the kids moving which helps.

Staff ★★★★★

It is worth an entire category for the staff at Great Wolf Lodge. They are incredible. At the lowest point they are kind. At the highest point the maintenance man that came to fix out microwave told us to “Have a great wolf day” and howled as he walked out the door. It was hilarious. Everyone was super helpful and anyone that passed us in the hallway took the time to say hello or tell us to “Have a great wolf day”!

Overall our trip was fantastic! We would go back again but definitely during the shoulder season. I would never pay full price but that is just cause I am cheap not because there is not value in it.